In St. John's Church, Leeds

The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Leeds is an English Heritage Grade 1 listed building, built in the city centre between 1632 and 1643, A redundant Anglican church, it is currently in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, a national charity protecting historic churches at risk.
This photograph shows the ceiling, an example of fine Carolian strap-work containing panels with flowers, birds and male dryads playing pipes. The decoration illustrates the type of ornate plasterwork that would have graced the ceilings in wealthy merchants’ principal rooms. The screen is an example of seventeenth century craftsmanshp with its finely carved griffins, hearts, flowers and grotesque heads. It is surmounted by two coats of arms, the one shown here being the coat of arms of Charles 1
The church was actually build shortly before the English Civil War, with its founder John Harrison living through these turbulent times. A family legend from his nephew’s family tells how Harrison remained loyal to King Charles throughout. In 1647, whilst a prisoner of the Scots, King Charles 1 stayed overnight at the home of another Leeds merchant, Thomas Metcalf. Harrison gained permission to give the king a tankard of ale. However when the king lifted the lid of the tankard, it was full of gold coins.